


Daughter of Power

by FollowTheLight (TaleFairy)



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Multi, Rivalry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2019-11-18
Packaged: 2021-02-08 09:20:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21473671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TaleFairy/pseuds/FollowTheLight
Summary: Adamaris Williams was born into greatness. Her name, meaning Graceful and Noble, suggests so. Her eyes are dark as the night, and her skin was blessed with an almost gold-like colour. And her parents? Her parents are powerful.Adamaris is the daughter of Zeus and Calysa, the Nymph Guardian of Wisdom. She was hidden from the world for almost 18 years, trapped in a boarding school, but now, she's back, and she's going to Camp Half-Blood, her parents' expectations of greatness weighing her down.How will she be able to stand out in a sea of heroes?
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Jason Grace/Piper McLean, Leo Valdez & Original Character(s), Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Collections: Percy Jackson, Percy Jackson Fics





	1. Daughter of Thunder

_Have you ever had that feeling that you may not be normal? _

_I don't mean it in a weird, prepubescent way. I mean that feeling that grows inside you, that screams right inside your heart, telling you that you're not like everyone else.  
_

_I've had that feeling my entire life._

Contrary to popular belief, hiding a secret is not that hard, well, at least not for me. 

When I was 3 years old, my parents sent me to a Boarding School in Windsor, England. And, growing up, I've developed the most common interests: reading, writing, dancing, singing, drawing, painting, brutally training with a sword and a bow-and-arrow... you know, the usual.

I've never been in actual danger before, but my satyr, Vladimir, always tells me that you have to expect danger, not be taken by surprise. Always be prepared. Always be vigilant.  
And that's why I've learned how to use a bow when I was five.

It was about 6h30 when I woke up, ten minutes earlier than my alarm clock, as usual. I get up and put my slippers on, walking to the mirror and yawning as I see the ugly girl staring at me. I shake my head.

"Ugh, what time is it?" I hear a voice asking and turn around, smiling as I see Miranda, my roommate, with her face buried into a pillow. 

"Half-past six." I answer, trying to get a hold of my messy morning hair.  
"Good God, Lay. It's bloody Saturday! What reason on Earth would make you wake up so early?!" She asks, her leg dangling off the bed but quickly retracting as her toes feel the cold wooden floor.

I shrug. "We wake up this early every day." 

She rolls her eyes. "Yes, in school days, today is bloody Saturday, and I'm actually bloody surprised that you woke up this early since you're the one who loves sleep more than everything."

"Not more than _everything_." I chuckle. "But, if you want to know, the reason I woke up early is that I have a meeting." 

She smirks, her eyes peeking from under the sheets as she finally decides to get up, slipping on her slippers and looking up at me with devilish eyes. "Is that meeting with someone named Vladimir?"

"Unfortunately, yes." I say, grabbing my bathroom bag.

She chuckles. "How can that be unfortunate? You're always together!" 

"Because he's my mentor." I say. "He's supposed to... mentor me, remember?" 

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." She rolls her eyes. "I wish I had a mentor like that." 

I roll my eyes. "Don't be gross, don't be that girl." I say, before walking out of the room.

I hear Miranda yelling something like 'I am that girl!' as I shut the door and make my way to the bathroom.

As I turn around the corner, I see some girls that, like me, are already awake and preparing themselves to shower or go out, some of them turn and greet me, smiling or waving at me. 

As I walk to the shower room, I find three of my teammates doing their makeup. "'Morning, girls." I say, smiling gently.

They nod, finishing the lipstick. "'Morning, Captain." Giselle, my co-captain, says with a giggle.

I smile. "Why are you guys awake at this time?" I ask, walking to a shower cabin and starting to undress.

"The Lacrosse team of Northridge is practising in a few minutes." She says. "We wouldn't miss that. You coming?" 

"No, I have a meeting with the council, also in a few minutes, but send me some pics, yes?" I ask, turning the shower on. 

She giggles, before mumbling an excited 'yes' and leaving with the girls.

Vladimir told me two days ago that this Saturday he had something important to tell me, so, last night, I didn't sleep, at all. 

I don't bother taking more than ten minutes to wash my body, and, as I finish, I reach the towel outside the cabin and wrap around myself but, as I'm about to go out, I hear a couple of girls gossiping. 

"Is it true she's going to be expelled?!" One of them asks the other, and I frown. Who's gonna be expelled?

"Yes, apparently, she slept with Vladimir, and now the Council is kicking both of them out." The other one says and I hear a spray-like sound, probably perfume. 

I almost gasp as I hear Vladimir's name, so I decide to stay a little longer to hear the rest of the conversation. "She slept with Vlad? Why would he want... Her? He has plenty of good choices."

"Maybe she was the easiest." One of them says, and I can almost hear her shrug.

"She _is _the easiest. I bet she'd do anything for ten minutes of male attention. Looking like that, she wouldn't have many choices." The girl says and they both laugh. "Do you think Giselle will be the Captain after she's gone?" 

"I have no doubt, and she'll definitely be a better one." 

I open my mouth, ready to interfere, but no sound comes out, and, as the girls walk away, I finally gather courage enough to walk off the cabin, gathering my stuff and tightly holding the towel around my body. Tears fill my eyes as I walk to the mirror, touching all the parts of my face that I hate. My hair, my nose... And that horrible scar I have on my lips. 

I sigh, how can they kick me out of school? I haven't done anything wrong, and that includes Vlad, because, obviously, that would be impossible, since he has fucking _hooves. _

I decide to forget this for now and walk back to my room, greeting the same girls that were talking shit about me as I walk through the hallway, and finally finding my room. As I go inside, I frown as I can't find Miranda, but then I spot a little piece of pink scented paper on my clothes and pick it up. 

'Lay, I went with Giselle to watch the Lacrosse Team Practice, see ya at breakfast, xx Mi' 

I smile, the only reason why Principal Carter let me share a room with Miranda, is because we're both American, and our accent confuses people sometimes. I put the note back on my bed, but far away from my clothes, and start getting dressed.

The more time passes, the more I can't take off my head what those girls in the bathroom were saying, and, even though it sounds stupid, I kind of agree with them, why would they need me here? 

At 7h20min, someone knocks on the door. I wait, and the person knocks again, twice, then three times in a row, then it stops, then one more time. I smile. "Come in, Vlad." I say, and the door opens. 

"Good Morning, Sunshine." He says as he makes his way to me, his covered hooves clattering. 

I smile. "'Morning, Vlad." I say.

"Great, you're ready. I need you to take that backpack I gave you." He says and I nod, searching for the backpack on the room, as I finally find it, he smiles. "Good, now put everything important in it." 

"It won't fit." I say frowning. 

"Yes, it will." 

An hour later, all my books, clothes, perfumes, accessories and a few more things are on the backpack, and surprisingly, it doesn't even weigh that much. "I think I'm done." I say and he nods. 

"So, that thing I wanted to tell you?" He starts.

I nod. "I remember, what is it?"

He waits a few seconds, looking around the room before looking down at me. "We're going to take a trip to the Olympus."


	2. Coffee

I gasp as Vladimir takes my hand, throwing a golden coin on the floor and pulling me a few steps back as a magical storm starts to take form in front of me. My eyes go wide, part of my brain tells me I know what he's doing, but the other part is so amazed by the fact that, after all those years rarely contacting my family, I'm actually seeing magic. Not for the first time, but still.

I smile as an old yellow taxi-cab appears, a bony hand opening one of the windows as a lady puts her head off the window, taking off her glasses to reveal one completely empty eye cavity and a light green eye.

Vladimir looks at the lady, then at me. "Do you know who they are?" 

I nod, Vlad was responsible for my magical education, he taught me everything he could, and I've been doing a lot of research lately. "The Gray Sisters." I say and the lady smiles, her one eye scanning me bottom to top before she looks at Vlad.

"Vladimir." She says. "Who is this lovely lady? Her lifeline is golden." She raises an eyebrow and I blush.

"This, Deino, is Adamaris, daughter of Zeus and Calysa. I'm taking her to see her parents." Vlad explains as he proceeds to open the door for me.

I look at him before getting on the cab, and the two other sisters, Perso and Pemphredo, seem to feel my presence, for both of them wave at the same time. "So this is the girl the Gods have been talking about," Deino says, her one eye still focused on me. "To the Empire State, girls." She says before the taxi starts moving.

I barely have time to look around, for the taxi is on such a speed that I have to close my eyes not to feel dizzy, Vlad puts a hand on my shoulder and holds me close to him, he whispers that it would be better if I kept my eyes closed, and that's what I do. 

It doesn't take too long for us to arrive, Vlad pays the Sisters before gently opening the door for me, I thank him and face the amazing building, excited. As we go in, a bunch of tourists look at me weirdly, and at first I have to check myself until I realise it must look weird to see a young-looking girl with a man all dressed up in a grey suit, that looks like he's on his late twenties, I chuckle. "Why are you using the mist?" I ask him before my eyes adapt to see the real him again.

"I like looking like a businessman." He shrugs. "I think it suits me." He winks, making me laugh. "Wait here."

I nod and watch as he approaches the balcony and asks to talk to a specific man; and, as the man appears, Vlad gives him a golden coin, the drachma, and the man nods, letting him pass. He turns to me and says that I have to go with him, I nod, following him and the man to an elevator. The man looks at me and raises an eyebrow before shaking his head, mumbling something about 'the new Gods'. I blush and look down as Vlad shoots him an aggressive look before the elevator doors are closed.

As I look to the numbers growing on the floor counting, my eyes go wide. "We're going high." I say, looking at Vlad. "Really high." He nods, giving me a reassuring look as we hit the 100th floor, the door opens and Vlad looks at me. 

"We're here." He says. 

Before I can even think about what I'm doing, I'm already exiting the elevator, looking up to the beautiful morning sky and down to the... Yeah, maybe I shouldn't have looked down. 

The thing is, down there, is THE CITY. THE WORLD. THE WHOLE FUCKING WORLD. 

And that's when I realise where I'm walking: The floor is made of rocks, but they have enough space between them that it is possible for me to see the world underneath me. I gasp, poking the space between the rocks with my toe and gladly realising that is made of some kind of glass. "Please tell me no one has died in here." I ask Vlad and he laughs. 

"You're like 90% God." He says simply.

"Yeah, but... Still." I say, still looking down one last time before making my way to the Olympus. 

I smile as I look around at the Nymphs, Satyrs and other creatures that calmly walk through the streets, it's like being at Rodeo Drive on a calm day, there are tons of stores and restaurants, the food magically appearing to the costumers. I could get used to living here.

I stop to get an Iced Caramel Macchiato and a few chocolate cookies before following Vlad to the Conference Room. I ask him if he wants a bite of my cookies but he shakes his head, saying he ate before we left. "You could have told me to eat before we leave too, huh?"

"You didn't even know we were leaving." He chuckles.

"That's my point!" I say smiling. 

I take a bite of my cookie as we stand in front of a huge white door, he looks at me before opening it, and I follow him.

I take a second to look around, this room is probably the most beautiful place I have ever seen. It's not huge, probably the size of an average house, but still fabulous. Flowers grow on the corner, a small fountain fills the room with the calm sound of water, and a few animals are running around, playing with each other, I smile, looking up as a fae flies over my head. She waves at me and I wave back, chuckling as she's followed by her friends. I see a golden mirror on the back of the room and can't help to take a look, but something tells me I shouldn't directly look at it so I look away. "Wow..." I mutter, contemplating the beauty that it is.

"You grew up." A loud and deep voice says, making me turn around.   
A tall man stands in front of me, but a few steps away. He's wearing an elegant white suit and perfectly shiny black shoes, and his beard is just the right height to make him look serious, yet kind of scary. Vlad prepares to say something, but before I can even notice, I'm already running to him, wrapping my arms around him. "Dad!" I say, feeling his hands awkwardly patting my back.

"Hello, darling." He says, handing me a genuine smile as he looks at me. 

Before he has the time to say something else, another figure walks to me, and I can see that there are a lot more people on a table, on the centre of the room, all looking at me, I blush. The woman stands in front of me, takes the coffee from my hands and hands it to Vlad, before taking a good look at me. "Who was the last King of the Melanthid Dynasty?" She asks.

I blush, frowning as my lips go dry. I look at Vlad. "She's shy... She's not that good with people." He says. 

"She is good at dancing and cheering, apparently." The women says bitterly as she turns around and starts walking back to her table, and all the Gods start talking to each other again.

"Codrus." I yell, making everyone look back at me. "Codrus was the last King, he ruled from 1089 to 1068 BC. He had two sons, Medon and Acastus, who tried to rule by themselves but failed. After that, the Hereditary Archonship was replaced by a non-hereditary system." I say. 

She turns around, raising an eyebrow and smirking. "Are you su-"

"I'm right. I know I am." I cut her sentence. 

She nods. "Very well. You're right." She says, walking back to me. "Do you know who I am?" 

"You're Calysa, step-sister of Athena and the Nymph Guardian of Wisdom... You're my mother." I say. 

Calysa takes my hand and guides me to the long table, I look around and spot some well-known Gods: Hermes, Athena, Poseidon, Hades, Ares, Aphrodite... 

I smile gently and wave at them. "What's the point of me being here? I'm sure you didn't call me so we can play 20 History Questions." 

I hear a loud laugh and look at a middle-aged man, he has a beard and has a grape juice on his hand. Dionysus. "She's a fierce little one, just like we used to be, Zeus. I like her." He says, smiling. 

I chuckle. "No, but seriously, why am I here?"

"Well," Zeus says, standing at the end of the table next to Poseidon and Hades. "We thought about this for a while, and we came to a big decision."

I raise an eyebrow. "And may I know what this decision is?" 

"Starting tomorrow..." Calysa, my mother, starts but is interrupted by my father. 

"You're going to Camp Half-Blood."


	3. Camp-Girl?

"You've _got to be_ fucking kidding me."

"Language." Calysa says with her eyebrows firmly raised.

"Fuck language!" I say, my anger bringing sparks of fire to my fingertips. "Why are you doing this to me? I'm happy! I have friends, I'm Captain of the Cheerleading Team, I started the Go Earth club and the Pro Art Movement; I was voted most artistic for six years in a row and that is a category only available for seniors! I have an amazing GPA, my grades are perfect! I have everything, EVERYTHING I could possibly need! What in the name of Zeus have I done for you to make this decision?" I yell, my angry side taking the best of me.

"First of all, I hate the expression 'In the name of Zeus'." He says, huffing. "Second of all. It will be good for you to interact with other kids that are in the same situation as you. Demigods understand exactly what you're going through and they'll accept you as a part of their family. You'll learn how to act, fight and think like a God, and that'll change your life." He says firmly, his tone practically screaming that it was not open for negotiation. 

I sigh. "Is there anything I can do to change your mind?" I ask, knowing that it was useless. But, hey, hope is the last one to die. 

"Absolutely not." Calysa says and I clench my jaw. 

"Dad?" I look at him. 

"Sorry, honey. It's already decided. Plus, all of your stuff is already on your Cabin." He shrugs. "No technology allowed, as you probably already know." 

"Oh, and I added some clothes to your collection!" Aphrodite says excitedly. "I'm sure you'll like, it's your style."

"I won't even ask how you know my style 'coz I'm sure the answer is much creepier than this comment. But, thanks. I appreciate it." I smile. "So... When do I leave?" I ask. 

"Right now." Calysa says. 

I sigh, getting up and walking to my dad at the end of the table, I hug him tightly. "I'll get back at you for this." I say, earning a few laughs. 

"I'm sure you will, tiny." He smiles. "Have fun." He says and I nod.

"I'll try my best." 

I give my mother a handshake, even though she doesn't really feel like my mother, just some stranger who sends me glittery gifts and cards on my birthday and is now trying to ruin my life. "Try making friends with Annabeth Chase, she's the smartest kid I've ever seen." 

Ouch, mom, that doesn't hurt at all. 

I force a smile. "Sure." I say, walking to Vlad. "Will I ever see you again, douche?" 

He chuckles. "Are you kidding? I'm your best buddy. Of course, you will. I'll be staying at the Camp too, got a few friends there."

"Wow, you having friends is even more shocking than me going to Camp Half-Blood." 

"Very funny." He rolls his eyes.

Dionysus gets up, and that's when I remember he's in charge of the Camp. Cool, at least I won't be the only outcast.

Aphrodite approaches me before we can leave, her hand on my shoulder as she looks down at me. "Don't worry, kiddo. Something tells me you'll enjoy that experience much more than you think." She winks and I frown. 

"What do you mean?" My father asks, walking to us. She chuckles. "Aphrodite. What do you mean?" He asks again. 

She smirks. "Oh, you'll see." She winks at him, as I walk to Dionysus and grab his hand, closing my eyes so his glow doesn't leave me blind.

I take a last look at them before we disappear. 

What did she mean?


	4. First Day of the Rest of My Life

Dionysus is a God. He is a fucking God. Let's just make that clear. 

He could have teleported us to my Cabin. Or his office. Or anywhere else. 

But no, we had to stand in front of the entrance. Exactly there. 

Now, I know the Camp has some kind of forcefield that protects them, but I also know that a God can go wherever they want, no matter what kind of security the place has. You know, that's kind of the point of being a God, infinite power and ish.

No doubt, everyone already knew I was arriving. And even if they didn't, the loud trot that Mister C's paws made against the soft ground were enough warning. I blush, great, everyone's looking at us. Or, actually, everyone's looking at me. 

I keep my head high, my eyes fixated on Chiron as he approaches us. Honestly, having grown up in the Human World made me realize that the whole concept of centaurs is kinda creepy. How do they procreate?

"Adamaris!" He says excitedly. "We are so happy to have you here!" He says, his accent thick as he gestures to the Camp. I almost chuckle. Sure they're happy. They absolutely look happy. 

I smile. "Thank you, so much. I'm sure this experience will enlighten my heart as well as my soul." 

Dionysus tries to hold a laugh but fails. Having seen the whole scene I made when I was told I was coming here, he absolutely knew every single word that was coming out of my mouth was made of pure bullshit. "Oh, it will." He says with a grin.

I hold myself not to roll my eyes. "Well, I'm sure you'll like it here. Why don't you come with me? I'll show you your cabin." Chiron says. 

I glance at Vlad, who nods gently and winks at me, my cheeks burning red as I look back at Chiron and nod. "Sure." 

Apart from all the strange looks I got, the Camp actually seemed like a beautiful, cosy place. Chiron told me all about the classes they have and a few people, and I tried to keep up with it while my eyes wandered around the place, curiosity taking over me. 

I'm guessing Cabin 1 was never meant to accommodate a lot of people. I mean, I know my father is Womanizer of the Year, but at least he's not big on the children department. Which, personally, I love, since honestly, I can barely talk to Vlad, how could I talk to my supposed brother or sister?

As far as I know (which I hope is the truth), dad has three or four kids. Hercules and Perseus, immortal heroes who now live in the Olympus with the Gods; me, Ada; and a girl named Thalia Grace, who's a little bit older than me, and joined the Hunters of Artemis a while ago.

However, I know, and everyone else knows too, that if anything is to happen to my Father, I'm his Heir, his TRUE Heir. Of course, this is just a formality, a Monarchy kinda thing, because there's no way dad would willingly give up his throne, even if he's hurt.. or dead. Either way, the weight of responsibility seems to be crushing me.

According to my parents, Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon and owner of Most Perfect Kid in the Entire Galaxy title, would understand my situation. But, as I haven't met him and have heard enough of his 'battle against himself' story, I fail to understand how exactly he could understand me since he's such an amazing person and all that shit. 

"Well, I hope you like it. If you have any questions you can always come to me or Mr D in the Big House or around the Camp." Chiron says and I nod, thanking him quietly. 

As Chiron exits the room, I take a good look around. It's not much different from my old room, all of my stuff is there, carefully organized to resemble my old room. But there are a few differences. A private bathroom, a small area that looks like a kitchen, with a small refrigerator and a cupboard, and a beautiful king-sized bed. I chuckle, at least I know there's no danger of me falling off the bed. Other things, like portraits and books, are from my much too old room in the Olympus.

Finally, I drop my backpack on the bed and take off my shoes, walking to the big wardrobe next to the bed. I smile, Aphrodite certainly had something to do with it. 

I open it. 

Dear Gods! I knew Aphrodite could go to extremes sometimes, but this... Wow. She was partially right, my old clothes and some styles I like are there, but she went even further. She bought me at least 30 new collections of all shapes and fabrics, including shoes and beautiful nightgowns. I smile, this will certainly be a change after so many years of blue uniform. 

Rubbing my eyes, I look at the clock and realize it's not even lunchtime yet. Shrugging, I take off my pants and look at my little board, with my activities for the week. It does seem like a lot, but I'm sure I can adapt to it. 

I close the window and yawn. It's a Camp, so there's no need to be always on schedule, right? Furthermore, they can't expect me to be on top of everything on my first day, and I've lost countless sleep hours only to please my parents my whole life, I deserve a little bit of sleep.

After that thought, I jump on my new bed and close my eyes. 

It's gonna be a long summer.


	5. Painting

I slowly open my eyes, letting out a loud yawn. I look around me, and it takes a few minutes for me to realize I'm not in St. Magdalene anymore, and, when I do, the thought of being locked in here for god-knows-how-long makes me shiver. That is, until I remember lunch starts at noon, and I arrived at approximately 8 a.m, then decided to take a quick nap to make up for the fact that I didn't sleep all night wondering what was the urgent meeting about. But when I glance at the clock on my bedside table, I'm shocked to realise its past 1 p.m, and I'm most definitely late for lunch. Shit.

Now, I know being in a camp means that you're supposed to relax and not care so much about time, but Camp Half-Blood is basically 24hrs training, everything is perfectly scheduled, every minute of every day is supposed to be filled with some boring and annoying activity, so that the kids don't hang themselves, I guess.

Which basically means that I can't be late, because lunch officially ends at 1:45, and my first activity, arts and crafts, starts at 2 p.m. So, I get up from my amazingly soft bed and walk to the nearest mirror, realising there's no freaking way I can walk out of this cabin looking like that. With all those years of being a cheerleading captain, the most important thing I've learned (besides being aggressive) is that you should never leave the room looking bad, and with crumpled clothes, messy hair and obvious bad breath for being asleep for more than an hour is the very definition of looking bad.

I glance at the mirror, 1:05; if I take 5 minutes in the shower I can be ready at 1:20, and I probably won't take more than 25 minutes to eat, so it sounds like a good plan.

I grab a towel from the perfectly organized closet and move to the bathroom, trying not to look too amazed by the beautifully polished floor, the tub and the even better glass shower, and even though I want to stop and feel the porcelain sink and rub my feet on the baby blue fluffy carpet, I'm on a tight schedule and can't even think about being late. 

The five minutes in the shower pass extremely quickly, and then I convince myself that it won't be a bad thing if the five minutes turn into ten, and when I realize, its already 1:20, according to the bathroom clock, and I fly out of the bathroom with my towel barely covering my breasts and fumble through the closet in search of a matching outfit. In all those years, I don't think I've taken so little time to figure out how to dress, and I bite the inside of my cheek as 5 minutes become ten, then fifteen, until I finally figure out what to dress.

At nearly 1:40, I'm practically ready. 

I grab a backpack and stuff it with breath mints, a toothbrush, toothpaste, a book and my cabin's keys as I rush out of the door, holding a map that seems ten times more confusing than thermodynamics.

Ten minutes later, and I'm stumbling near the lake and want to yell as loud as I can before I realize the map isn't complete... And it's upside down. I curse under my breath before gently passing my hand over the old parchment, the rest of the map instantly appearing, along with the symbol of the House of Zeus and my mother's personal coat of arms. I sigh, how could I have missed that? 

My journey to the Mess Hall ends at 1:59 when I finally find my way to it. It goes without saying that the place was a complete mess, and I only have enough time to sit down before one of the nymphs tell me I can't really order anything since its past lunchtime. I nod and thank her before grabbing my map again, it is now 2 o'clock and I'm expected at Arts and Crafts. Once again, I find myself rushing against the clock for no reason, there's no reason whatsoever for me to rush over knowing I won't be able to get there in time. Instead, I hold my hungry stomach and walk slowly to the beautiful and polished marble structure that constitutes the arts and crafts saloon.

I praise Athena for her beautiful work with the architecture, before slowly walking to the door. The outside of the arts and crafts building has no clock, so I can't tell what time it is, but I do know it is past 2 o'clock.

I slowly knock on the door and make my way in, being faced by at least 30 curious pairs of eyes. One of them walks over to me, a young nymph with a bright smile on her face. "You must be Adamaris, Daughter of Zeus and Calysa, right?" She asks excitedly.

I shift my weight from one foot to the other, feeling deeply uncomfortable. I've never been that good with the whole "making new friends" thing, usually, people just came to me because I was co-captain, and then, later, captain. And even when I was promoted to captain I still felt awkward, like I was being judged at all times, like I was the only odd out, but that wasn't true, because no one knew about my parents... But now they do.

I nod slowly. "Yes." I simply answer, trying not to pay attention to the whispers. 

The young nymph smiles widely. "I'm Juniper. It's so nice to have you here, your mother is a true inspiration. I saved a seat for you in the front, we're going through painting today, do you know anything about it?"

I almost sigh in relief. Painting, yes. I was raised and spoiled in the arts, I know everything about it. "Yes, actually. It's one of my favourite activities."

"Great!" She says excited, leading me to the front of the class. I smile, I used to always sit at the front. "I was just going through the blending of colours to create a pattern. Would you like me to start over?"

"No, no, there's no need. I'd hate to delay the class." I say, sincerely, hoping that will earn me some points with the rest of the campers.

She nods, going back to the front of the class. "Well, we're gonna start simple. I want you to paint what you know, doesn't matter what it is, we're not looking for perfect technique, just paint with your heart."

I nod. Yeah, I can do that... Seems like fun, nothing like the strict classes we had at St. Magdalene's.

I close my eyes and start thinking about what I should paint. It takes only a few minutes for me to figure out I don't really know that much. I mean, I thought St. Magdalene's was my home, but it's no longer like that; I thought my teammates loved and respected me, but it's not completely true; I never thought I'd feel so alone and out of place, but I do... Everything I knew, everything I was, is no longer true. I bite my lip, maybe I should focus on something concrete, something that'll never change. 

Sixty minutes later, I find myself staring at a portrait that surprised me greatly. I give it a final touch before the teacher, Juniper, starts walking around the classroom, checking everyone's work. "Annabeth, great start, you're gonna do amazing with some practice. Fred, I love your mix of colors, texture and images, it's amazing! Grace, oh, darling, that looks a bit messy but I can see you did your best. Adamaris... Oh, dear!" She smiles.

I blush. "Is it bad?"

"Bad? Darling, it's fantastic! What does it represent?"

I look at the painting, not wanting to face her. "Well, it started as a portrait of myself, since I'm the only thing in my life that hasn't drastically changed, but then... I-I think it's my mother. People say I look a lot like her." I shrug. "I definitely have my father's personality, though." I comment, half-jokingly.

"I think you might have more of your mother than you think. It's beautiful, darling, I look forward to seeing you next week." She smiles. "Well, that's it for today. Remember, if you want to use the classroom or any materials feel free to come here, you're always welcome. I'll see you next week, guys!"

I walk over to her. "Miss J?"

She chuckles. "Oh, darling, just call me Juniper."

I frown, if I called a teacher by their first name at St. Magdalene's, I would probably get a ticket to the Headmistress's office. "Uhm... Okay. I would like to take my painting to my room, would that be possible?" 

"Of course, darling! Go ahead!" She says, taking the painting from the easel and handing it to me. 

I smile and thank her before walking out of the room, holding the painting carefully with one hand and the map with the other. This time, the walk to the cabins seems easier, but maybe that's because I've already wasted too much time walking around like a lost puppy. 

The hard part, however, is that everyone seems to have their eyes glued on me, whispering to each other like I'm some kind of rare species that they're scared of. Soon enough, though, I realize that it is not fear that keeps them away, but rather annoyance. I can recognize the whispers of mockery anywhere, and the little laughs that come with them. As my Spanish teacher would say, they're not laughing with me, they're laughing AT me.

I sigh as I enter my cabin, leaving the portrait on the corner next to the door as I walk to the small kitchen, searching for food. I open the mini-bar to find a few bottles of soda, several of juice and even more of water, but, sadly, no alcohol. "Of course not. You wouldn't want me to have any fun, huh, dad?" I mumble, a smile coming to my lips as I remember the more than epic parties the cheerleading squad had at St. Magdalene's, where we could always sneak some alcohol to our dorms without the headmistress finding out. Or maybe she did find out but didn't really mind. I guess I'll never know. 

I grab a bottle of water and a juice box, then open a cabinet to find an infinite supply of candy and snacks. "Thank Gods!" I grab a few packages and stuff all the items in my backpack, then grab my schedule and realize that, again, I'm late. "Fucking great." I mumble, rushing out of the cabin and locking the door with a swift hand movement. I cringe at the thought of Vladimir hating me for performing magic in front of other people, but as I see the horizon completely empty, I think I might get away with it.

According to my schedule, I have archery practice at 3:30, which makes me think whoever designed my schedule must have a pretty good knowledge of what I like and what I'm good at. Thankfully, the Arena, where most sports practices are held, it's not as far from the Cabins as the Arts and Crafts classroom, though, now, I risk embarrassing myself in front of a way bigger number of people. 

There are three classes being held at the same place, which is not surprising given the size of the Arena. The first one is sword-fighting, the second is wrestling and the third is archery. That is without mentioning the 35 or so students who only came to watch, apparently, and are probably on a break. According to the Camp Half-Blood brochure, though, there are plenty more of classes which are held in here, but I believe having all of them at the same time would be bad. 

I walk to the archery class, being careful not to make eye contact with anyone, and am greeted by a tall very handsome man, who is probably in his late twenties to early thirties. Though he looks extremely beautiful, with his dirty blonde hair and brown eyes, his expression is of someone who shouldn't be messed with. He glances at me as he sees the other kids doing the same, and his face tells me I'm about to get severely screwed. He walks to me, large steps and furrowed eyebrows, and looks down at me with cold eyes. "You must be Adamaris." He simply says.

I nod. "Yes, sir." 

"You're late." He states, glancing at his watch. 

"I'm aware of that, sir. And I'm terribly sorry." I say, trying my best not to shake in fear, I've never been confronted by an authority, adults usually trust me.

"No excuse?" He raises an eyebrow. 

"No excuse will change the fact that I'm late, sir. There's no need to waste anymore of your time." 

He nods, his expression softening. "Very well, don't let it happen again, miss... Williams, is it?" He glances at a file.

I almost cringe. "It's a fake name I used to attend school, sir. You could simply call me Adamaris, or Ada, I wouldn't mind."

"Miss Adamaris it is." He says. "Drop your backpack and join the others in front of the targets." I nod and walk to a small wooden wall where the other backpacks are hung, and proceed to do the same with mine. After I do, I walk as fast as I can to a target. "Do you know anything about Archery, miss Adamaris?"

I nod slowly, my face heating up as my hair changes from deep brown to light red. I clench my jaw, the mist, which protected me from exposing myself in front of humans, is no longer useful, and there's no need to manipulate it since all demigods can see me. I learned to manipulate it when I was very young, about 9 or 10 years old, and, since then, I've been doing pretty much unconsciously. "Yes, sir." I answer, despite the whispers and giggles happening around me.

"Good, so you don't need any explanations or any help figuring out how to position?" He asks. 

"I believe not, sir." I say lowly and he nods. 

"Well then, you all may start now. If anyone has any questions, please come to me."

I hear a few people mumbling a low yes and I do the same, before grabbing the bow and the arrows placed on a table to my right. I grab the bow and study it, checking its flexibility, before taking one of the several arrows and positioning my body correctly. I take a deep breath, focus on the arrow for a second, making sure it's well-aligned, and then glance at the target, a blackboard in the shape like a monstrous beast with wings and a lion head, which I quickly identify as a chimaera.

There are three main red dots on the board, that resemble the parts that, if hit, can be fatal, and other smaller blue dot which resemble parts that can cause harm, but not kill.

The biggest red dot is the brain, the medium is the heart and the smallest is the throat. Though the heart is one of the easiest ones, the throat is the part which is truly fatal, and the part I think about aiming at. Of course, being a demigod experience, the target soon started to move up and down, flapping its wings and breathing fire, which caused me to jump back. I hear a few laughs, "Can't take it, princess?" someone yells, and I clench my jaw as I focus on the beast in front of me.

The board starts moving around, never repeating the same pattern but breathing fire every two minutes. I wait for it to fly up again and shoot, hitting it straight in the throat. The board makes a dying sound before it falls, and comes back up again with a different shape. "Very well, miss Adamaris!" The professor, who's name I still don't know, yells, and it gives me enough courage to keep going.

Until today, I had never practised with a moving target, but I still manage to hit the sphinx in the brain, the second and third chimaeras in the heart and wings and the hydra in the brain. The practice lasts one hour and a half, and, after it's over, the combination of a burning sun and an empty stomach is starting to get to me. I place the equipment down. "You were good out there." The professor says, giving me a light smack on the shoulder.

I smile. "Thank you, sir. And once again I'm sorry for being late, it won't happen again."

"It better not." He smiles.

I nod before walking to my backpack, opening and taking the water bottle, which I happily open to chug down its liquid, before someone taps my shoulder.

I turn around to face a petit ginger girl with a big smile and overalls completely covered in paint. This almost makes me smile, I remember the many shirts I had to wash because I spilled paint all over them. I glance at her face, she extends her hand out for me to shake. "The name's Rachel." She says, her voice filled with excitement.

"Adamaris." I introduce myself, shaking her hand carefully.

"I know, silly, everyone knows. Annabeth has been spreading some pretty nasty rumours about you, that's how I knew I had to meet you, I think we were meant to be friends." She chuckles. 

Annabeth? Does she mean Annabeth Chase, my mother's favourite camper? I frown. "I had arts and crafts with her, I think. But we never even spoke."

"That's just how she is. She said you think so highly of yourself you don't mind being late, and that you think you're above all of us, and that you think you're a perfect princess. Coming from her, I didn't really believe it so I thought I had to see for myself. Miss Juniper says you're a great artist, so I knew we had that in common. But you don't seem at all like someone who thinks they're better than everyone." She explains. 

I shake my head. "I'm not. This girl sounds insane, I've never even talked to her and she thinks she can screw me over." I mumble, grabbing a package of snacks and offering to Rachel. 

She happily accepts as she looks up at me again. "What's your next class?"

"Free period, then strawberry fields." I say.

She smiles widely. "Me too! Come on, we have to hang out for a bit, I'll show you around, I imagine that's why you were late." I nod. "Cool, come with me." I look at her hesitantly before nodding, grabbing my backpack and following her out of the Arena. 

By the way people look at us, I can tell they're not big fans of Rachel as well, and that's when I know I can trust her.


	6. Confrontation? No, Thanks.

Rachel walked me through the Canoe Lake, the Volleyball Court and The Big House, before following our tour to what was supposed to end at the Pegasus' Stable, with a brief visit to the Strawberry Fields so I could see where we would be working. But we had to walk past the Forge in order to reach the fields. Actually, we didn't _have _to, it was more like an excuse Rachel so blatantly threw at me so she could stare at the sons of Hephaestus who might be working around there.

Unfortunately for Rachel, there weren't any boys outside wielding hammers or wiping the sweat off their rock-hard abs (her words, not mine), so, because my curiosity couldn't hold any longer, and because she wished to see some boys (or girls), we walked in. 

When I was but a young child, my father gifted me (through Vlad, of course) a little box of jewellery that came with a sparkly pink ballerina on the inside. The ballerina would pirouette and pirouette while a beautiful soothing song played, and that made me extremely curious about how this mundane human object could wield such magic. I didn't realise the magic was in my childish eyes. I ended up disassembling that little box, going through the pieces to find out how it worked. It was mostly curiosity, of course, because I really wanted to know how that little person could spin for hours without getting tired.

I found out, of course... Also found out that it wasn't a real person. And it was really rude to ask my first-grade teacher (who was a very short lady) why one of her family members lived inside my box. I got detention for that.

That's what the Forge reminded me of, that's why I was so curious. 

As we walk inside the huge coliseum-like building that is the Forge, I can't help but get swiped off my feet with happiness as I curiously ogle all the unfinished projects the sons of Hephaestus are working on. Though this place isn't exclusively theirs, Rachel has informed me that it is very hard to actually get picked to be in one of their classes, for the camper must show enthusiasm and creativity, and present a functioning, originally designed project; all of that on top of being chosen by none others than Chiron or Mr. D. Well.... That sounds just easy, doesn't it? 

"Well, damn, I thought that coming here would mean being safely away from any princess drama. Guess I was wrong, huh?" Says a voice at the top of the stairs. 

I was so busy being fascinated over the projects that I barely noticed the second-floor, that held a very messily organized library, some stairs, finished projects and a few other rooms of which the doors appeared to be locked. My head drops to the ground and my cheeks burn red, an instinct of being caught doing something apparently wrong, and my eyes dance to Rachel as I wait for an explanation to all of that. I didn't have much time to look at the person belonging to that voice but, as soon as Rachel touches my arm, I allow myself to look up once again. 

They are six. A tall boy with milky white skin, messy jet black hair and sea-green eyes; he wears an orange camp half-blood shirt and sky blue distressed jeans. As he looks at me, he runs his hand through his messy hair and looks down at his shoes, slowly shaking his head. It doesn't take an idiot to realise that young man is none other than Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon, winner of Perfect Boy of the Year for seven consecutive years, The Saviour of Olympus. Nice. 

The girl beside him is the one who just spoke, and I have no problem assuming who she is since it isn't that hard. I had never seen her before, nor had I seen any kind of portrait of hers, though I heard the nymph Juniper say her name during Arts and Crafts, something on the tone of her voice and the possessive way she stood by Perseus told me who she was. Annabeth Chase. My mother's favourite child has a long cascade of blonde hair and cold grey eyes, much similar to her mother's. She stands tall at the beginning of the stairs, eyeing down at me with a very intimidating posture. I almost choke on thin air, there she finally is, and why does she make me nervous?

The next people are very much unfamiliar to me. One of them is a short very pale boy with dark brown eyes and black hair, who seems uncomfortable to even be in this situation... Well, that makes two of us, buddy. The guy beside him was, ironically, the complete opposite. Tan skin, blonde hair and blue eyes, he had a confident look on his face. The two girls next to him were different, yet similar at the same time. One of them was a petite brunette with braids, and the other one, a well-built brunette wielding a knife. That's... not creepy at all, I suppose. I mean, kinda creepy to me, if you were caught with so much as a butter knife in St. Magdalene's you'd get a week's detention, but not out of the ordinary in this place, I guess. 

"Well, if only we'd known this place would be drenched with your... _delightful_ presence, perhaps we wouldn't have come." Rachel fires back and I glance at her. 

"You are just a sneaky little rat, aren't you? I see you've finally found a friend. Looks like you won't be hiding in the attic anymore, huh? What a shame." Annabeth says, faking a pout. 

Rachel rolls her eyes before quickly glancing at Perseus. "Jackson." She simply says, acknowledging his presence. 

He cleans his throat in an uncomfortable gesture before nodding at her. "Rach." 

"Well, huh... We're so sorry to bother you..." I finally say, my hair burning red. "Shit." I mutter under my breath.

"Oh, wow! It speaks! What a freakish little thing you are, aren't ya?" She says, finally coming down the stairs until she can be in front of Rachel and me. 

"We... We didn't really think anyone would be here." I simply say.

"Oh is that right? Thought you'd be alone? Maybe you would have enough time to mess with the projects... or perhaps steal some of the idea sheets... You people just _love_ to steal from mortals, don't you?" She spits. 

I choke, not knowing what or how to speak. I feel my hair changing from fire red to a shy blue as my eyes avoid hers.

"Yo! Check out what I just found...." Starts an unknown voice. "Everything cool around here? What's going on?" I glance up to see that a new figure has just emerged from one of the rooms which I assumed weren't even open. The boy walked to the top of the stairs, a confused look on his face. I had a few seconds to study his appearance, he confused me, because, unlike the other five people who stood around Annabeth, with the exception of the petite girl, he actually seemed... nice. He wore brown pants and boots, a white shirt and, comically, a pair of yellow suspenders. His hair was a mess of brown curls, and he was wearing protection goggles on the top of his head and a pencil behind his ear; his skin was probably one shade lighter than mine, you could see the Latinx in him, through the skin, the brown eyes and the way he stood up. At the boarding school, a lot of people dismissed me as Latina because of my skin colour and my file, and, even if they're not completely wrong because my mother did give birth to me in Brazil (she said it was "exotic") I have enough Latina in me to recognize that this boy's parents are probably foreigners. Either that or he inherited his skin from Hephaestus, but I doubt that. 

"Nothing that concerns you, Leo." Annabeth says, rolling her eyes. 

"Annie." Perseus says, shaking his head. 

"We're just welcoming the pretty princess to the camp. Isn't that right, honey?" She says bitterly.

"Hey, Rach. Been a while, huh?" The boy, Leo, says as he walks down the stairs. 

Rachel smiles a bit. "Hey, Valdez." 

"Came to peep on my brothers?" He chuckles. 

"W-we were actually leaving." I say, blushing.

"Well, that's a great fucking idea! And here I thought you were brain damaged." Annabeth laughs.

"And who are you?" Leo asks, his hand out for me to shake.

I choke on my words. 

"Leaving. She's leaving." Annabeth says. "Why are you taking so long, little rat? Need us to put down a golden carpet for you?" She raises an eyebrow. 

I look down, grabbing Rachel by the arm and getting the hell out of there as fast as possible.


End file.
